The Freedom of Summer
by newyorkcitydreaming
Summary: Disclaimer: I own nothing. Spending the summer at her friend's beach house was always going to be a good time...Sara just didn't realize how good. After many requests, this is a follow up to Fast Cars, Freedom and Summer.


The sun shone through the window of the bedroom Sara was staying in. Her room at the beach house got the morning sun, and it hadn't failed to wake her every morning while the others slept. Climbing out of bed, she got changed and headed out to the beach for her morning run. They had been there a little over three weeks, and Sara had made a beach run, part of her morning routine. Caitlin and Kara liked their sleep so, most mornings Sara had been out for her run, returned to the house, made coffee, and showered, all before her friends got up. Today was no different. After returning from her run, Sara followed the same morning routine and was sitting on the back deck, overlooking the ocean when a familiar voice called out to her from the beach.

Smiling, she waved at Barry as he headed up the stairs toward her. He and Kara had become an official couple about three days into their trip, and Sara had to say that it was the happiest age had seen her friend in a long time.

"Morning," Sara greeted as Barry reached her, "coffee is fresh."

"Sweet! You're the best Sara," he exclaimed heading into the house and pouring himself a mug.

Sara shook her head at the guy, he was basically a coffee junkie from what she could tell, so it was always his first port of call whenever he turned up. She watched as he sat down next to her and she smiled at him.

"So what are yours and Kara's plans today?" Sara questioned.

"I thought I'd take her sailing unless she wants to do something else, or unless she doesn't like sailing, I go sailing every summer, I love it, wait she likes boats right?"

Sara let out a small laugh and nodded, "I'm sure she'll love it."

"Yeah, laughed it up," Barry said, sipping his coffee, "but I see you still haven't returned my best friend's jacket so seems like I'm not the only one acting like-"

"Like a 16-year-old girl?" Caitlin interrupted, as she walked onto the deck with a mug of coffee in her hands.

Barry screwed up his face and stuck his tongue out at her. "For lack of a better term, I guess that fits."

"It's funny, I don't think I've ever seen Sara like this, even when we were 16," Caitlin said.

"So, Sara wasn't a typical 16-year-old girl?" Barry asked.

"Sara is sitting right here!" Sara exclaimed, annoyed at them both.

"It's not like I'm lying," Caitlin said, "You never were boy crazy like all the other girls."

"You including yourself in that?" Sara challenged.

"That's something you already know the answer to, and Barry doesn't want to hear about all this," Caitlin said.

"Yes, yes I do," Barry said, nodding his head, and watching them both closely, his coffee cup between his hands.

"See 16-year-old girl," Sara she nudging her head towards Barry.

She watched as Caitlin turned to look at their friend and both girls burst out laughing.

"What?" Barry asked.

"Why don't you head on up and see your girlfriend?" Caitlin suggested.

"Fine, I know when I'm not wanted," Barry said heading into the house.

Sara shook her head and sipped her coffee. She liked Barry, and she was glad for Kara that things had worked out. Her friend had, after all, been crushing on him for the longest time. Looking out toward the ocean, she noticed that families had started turning up for the day. The beach scene in front of her made her smile, fathers setting up beach umbrellas, mothers all but drowning their kids in sunscreen, while the kids just wanted to head for the water.

"So."

Caitlin's voice pulled Sara out of her thoughts, and she turned to look at her friend.

"So what?" Sara asked.

"You are still wearing Leonard's jacket and don't tell me you haven't seen him because I totally saw you sneaking out last night. So unless you are sneaking out to meet someone else in his jacket, I know the truth."

Sara bit her lip and looked down at her coffee smiling. They had been caught, and she hadn't even realized. That told her more than she needed to know about her feelings, they were clearly clouding her ability to be as stealthy as she normally was.

"Is it really sneaking out when you are at the beach for the summer with your friends?" Sara asked, pulling the jacket tighter around her.

"If you aren't telling your best friends you are going to go see a guy and probably make out with him then yes!" Caitlin exclaimed. "Especially since I've seen you with Leonard like three times since the party, and that was because Barry and Kara planned those group dinners.

"What do you think I do when Kara is out with Barry, and you're off with Ronnie?"

"Lay on the beach and get a tan, I have no idea," Caitlin said.

"Sometimes I do that. I've just been hanging out with Len and Mick too," she explained.

"So wait, when you sneak out, it's to see them both?"

Sara let out a laugh at the horrified look on Caitlin's face. "No, that's just Len and me, and last night was the first time."

"So there will be more?" Caitlin asked.

"I don't know."

"Do you want there to be more?"

"I don't know...maybe."

"I'm just going to take that as a yes," Caitlin said, with a grin.

Sara was about to say something else, when she saw the guy they had just been talking about, heading up the path from the beach to the house. She shot Caitlin a look that said 'talk and die' as Leonard reached the deck.

"Morning," he greeted them.

"Morning," Caitlin replied, as Sara smiled at him. "You're looking a little tired today Len, late night?"

Sara watched as Leonard turned to look at Caitlin, she listened as he spoke to the other girl and then Caitlin excused herself mumbling something about a shower.

With Caitlin gone, Sara watched as Leonard moved closer to where she was sitting.

"Nice jacket," he said, with a smirk.

"Thanks. This random guy gave it to me; I think I'll keep it," she replied, with a grin looking up at him.

She watched as he looked over his shoulder at the house, before turning back to her with a grin. Then he placed his hands on the arms on the chair, and leaned down and kissed her. Sara smiled into the kiss, returning it for a moment, before pushing him away.

"Someone will catch us if we're not careful," she said.

"Do I look like I care?" He asked.

Sara laughed and pushed at his chest again, before standing up and grabbing the empty coffee cups that her friends had left behind.

"I was going to make some breakfast, you interested?" she asked, ignoring his question and heading inside to the kitchen.

"Pancakes?" he asked following her.

"If you behave yourself," she answered, loading the cups into the dishwasher.

"Did someone say pancakes?" Barry said, appearing in the kitchen, "Oh, morning Len."

"I did, Sara is going to make them," Leonard said, "and you disappearing so early, suddenly makes sense."

Sara took off Leonard's jacket and tossed it to him. She moved around the kitchen pulling out ingredients to make pancakes, before filling another mug full of coffee and handing it to Barry.

"Morning all," Kara said, walking into the room, in a mint colored sundress.

Sara turned and watched as Kara hugged Leonard from behind and kissed his cheek, as he sat at the counter. Sara felt a slight pang of jealousy at the sight; she knew she shouldn't, that's just who Kara was. As she watched her friend move to sit on Barry's lap, Sara realized how stupid she had been even worrying about it.

Stirring the mixture, she felt Leonard come up behind her, and slide his hand around her waist, and she turned to look at him.

"Don't," she warned.

"They have no idea," he replied, nodding his head in the direction of their friends.

Sara looked over her shoulder and knew he was right. Barry and Kara weren't paying attention to anything but each other, and it wasn't like they were in their direct line of sight. Leonard moved her hair over her shoulder, and kissed her neck, as he slid a hand under the hem of her tank top. Sara bit her lip softly to stop herself from letting out a moan. She placed a hand over his to stop it from sliding any high under her top and then moved toward the pantry pulling him along with her.

Thankful for the walk-in pantry, she pushed Leonard inside, and against the wall, before pressing her lips to his. Sara stood on her toes, running her hands up his chest, gripping his shirt in one hand and scraping her nails across the back of his neck softly with the other.

She tugged gently on his lower lip with her teeth, and he let out a groan as he flipped them and pushed her into the wall. He lifted her up, and Sara wrapped her legs around his waist as he moved his lips across her jawline and down her neck. Her hands were now on his shoulders as she leaned her head back against the wall and he continued to kiss her neck.

"Len, pancakes," Sara mumbled.

"Later," he said, against her collarbone.

"But…" she started, before giving in and pulling his lips back to hers.

There was something about knowing, that anyone could find them that, made it more exciting. They had only decided to make, whatever this was, official the night before. It was one of the reasons Sara had snuck out of the house so late. Ever since that first night, something had been happening between her and Leonard. Sara hadn't planned on it, but every day of that first week she just happened to run into him, with or without Mick. By the first weekend, they had started to make plans to see each other, and it had only built from there. The flirting, the subtle touches, the not so subtle touches, yes, it had definitely been building to something. So last night when he had asked her to meet him, Sara knew that there was no way she wasn't going. She didn't know if this was a summer fling or something more but she wasn't about to let it become something she wished she'd done.

"Is someone making pancakes?"

The new voice caused Sara to freeze for a moment before pulling back from Leonard and dropped her feet to the floor. She smoothed out her hair, fixing her tank top, and grabbed some syrup and plates.

"I am," she said, to Caitlin walking out of the pantry.

She placed the items on the counter and went back to making the food as Leonard walked out of the pantry with some glasses in his hand.

Caitlin shot Sara a look which she ignored as she heard Leonard ask if they were expecting anyone else.

"You can text Mick if you want," Sara told him, before looking at Caitlin, "Is Ronnie coming?"

"No, he had to go and help his mom with something this morning, so I'm going to go over there later."

Sara flipped a pancake onto a plate as she watched Leonard set the table, and tried her hardest not to think about what they had been doing only moments earlier. Between pancakes, Sara had made a fresh pot of coffee, poured it into cups, and Caitlin had taken then to the table. When she was finished with the last pancake Mick walked through the door, and she smiled at him.

"Perfect timing."

"Snart said food; I'm here!" Mick exclaimed.

Breakfast, or brunch, by the time it was actually eaten, had gone off without a hitch. Although Sara was starting to wonder whether she and Leonard were going to get any other alone time, when Caitlin suggested that she and Mick hang out with them for the day.

"Are we just thinking beach or something else?" Sara asked after Barry and Kara had headed off for the day.

"We could just hang here by the pool, avoid the families and the sand," Caitlin suggested.

"That works for me," Sara said, before looking at the guys, "How about you?"

"Is there beer here?" Mick asked.

"Yes," Sara replied, with a laugh.

"Works for me too," Mick said.

Sara sent Leonard and Mick back to Barry's house while she cleaned up from breakfast and got changed and when they returned both she and Caitlin were out by the pool.

After finishing applying sunscreen to Caitlin's back, Sara turned to Leonard and held out the bottle toward him.

"Do me?" she flirted.

"Anytime," he replied with a smirk.

"You two are ridiculous," Caitlin said, shaking her head.

Sara stuck out her tongue at her friend, as Leonard took the bottle off her and squeezed out some of the sunscreen into his hand. She felt him massage it into her back, and she closed her eyes and sighed softly.

"You couldn't have found a tinier bikini if you tried could you?" she heard Leonard whisper into her ear, and Sara bit her lip to hold in a giggle.

"I could have decided on skinny dipping," she said, turning her head to look at him over her shoulder.

"You're evil, you know that right?" he questioned.

"You're both annoying; you know that right?" Mick asked, mimicking Leonard.

"Jealous much," Sara threw at him.

"Of what? Sunscreening your back?" Mick replied, before picking her up around the waist and throwing her into the pool.

"You're dead Mick," Sara said, as she surfaced and pushed her wet hair out of her face.

Moving toward the stairs, Sara climbed out of the pool and headed straight for Mick.

"Are you seriously trying to hide behind Leonard? Caitlin asked, watching the scene from her lounge chair. "You don't know her at all do you?"

Sara made her way over to the guys and slid her hands up Leonard's chest, and rose on her toes, as she wrapped her arms again his neck and kissed him slowly. She could feel the heat radiating off him from being in the sun as he pulled her against him and returned the kiss. Pulling back she noticed Mick had moved and smiled to herself; she would have her revenge in time.

Sara lulled Mick into a false sense of security as she lay down on the lounge next to Caitlin. She slid her sunglasses over her eyes but watched as Leonard and Mick got into the pool.

"So you and Leonard, what you're just going to go public now?" Caitlin whispered beside her.

"Well Mick pretty much already knew, and you and I chatted this morning, I figure you two wouldn't matter. I'd like to keep Barry and Kara out of the loop for a bit, though, you know how excited those two can get over things." Sara said.

"Oh, I know exactly what you mean!" Caitlin exclaimed.

It was around one in the afternoon when Mick suggested lunch, and as Ronnie had text Caitlin and told her that he was stuck helping his mom, the four of them decided to order a couple of pizzas and spend the afternoon exactly the way they had spent their morning.

With pizza on its way, Sara headed inside and pulled some beers out of the fridge and then made her way back out to the pool.

"You're the best Blondie," Mick said as she walked over to him with the beer, but before he even had time to register what was happening Sara pushed him into the pool and walked off to sit in Leonard's lap.

"I told you, she's like an assassin! Sara will get you back for whatever and you'll think she has forgotten, and she just hasn't," Caitlin said, as Mick surfaced.

Sara grinned as Mick walked over and grabbed the beer she had brought out for him.

"Nicely played Blondie, I guess I know not to mess with you again,"

"Damn straight," Sara agreed, as she leaned back against Leonard's chest.

She felt him wrap his hand around her waist and then run it slowly down her skin to rest on her thigh. Turning her head, she pressed her lips to his cheek softly, smiling against his skin, before turning back to look at Mick and Caitlin. Part of her loved their friends, but a bigger part of her wanted, no, needed, some alone time with Leonard.

The group had spent the day relaxing, not unlike every other day of the summer so far. Kara had text Sara and let them all know that she and Barry would be back late, and she would just crash at his place.

"So it looks like it's just the four of us tonight," Sara said, with a smile.

"I'm thinking Mexican and margaritas," Caitlin said, clapping her hands together.

Sara nodded at her friend and then looked at the boys for their opinions.

"We need more beer," Mick stated, "if you girls start cooking, Snart and I'll go get some."

"Perfect," Caitlin said, as she headed inside.

"What you don't want margaritas, Mick?" Sara asked, with a laugh as she stood up from her spot on Leonard's lap.

"Chick drinks, no thanks! Let's go Snart."

Leonard stood up to follow Mick, and Sara gave him a wink and a smile. She turned to head into the house to help Caitlin when Leonard caught her hand and pulled her to him. Sara had no time to react as he kissed her quickly and then stepped back.

"Don't miss me too much," Leonard called out to her as he followed Mick.

"Don't make it so easy to miss you," she called back, before heading into the house.

By the time the boys returned Sara and Caitlin had thrown on clothes and were cooking and dancing around the kitchen to some Mexican music.

"You started without us," Mick said, clearing noticing the girls had had more than one margarita each.

Sara watched as he popped the top off a beer and passed it to Leonard and then opened one for himself. She found herself watching Leonard carefully as Mick moved past her to where Caitlin was making tacos and some seven layer dip. Sipping her margarita she smiled at him walking closer before passing him and heading out onto the back deck.

Sara placed her drink down and leaned against the railing looking out at the ocean. There was something about it that calmed her, sobered her almost. It brought back good memories she had. She felt Leonard come up behind her and wrap his arms around her waist. Sara closed her eyes as he kissed her shoulder and she leaned back into him with a small sigh.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"Everything, and nothing at the same time," she replied, opening her eyes and looking out at the beach again.

They stood there in silence for a while, watching the waves crash on the shore until Caitlin yelled that dinner was ready.

Sara finished her drink and poured another, trying to keep up with her friend and Mick who seemed to have had more than a couple more while she and Leonard were outside.

Around 11:30 Caitlin had called it a night and headed up to bed, Mick lasted another hour before Sara sent him to crash in one of the spare rooms. Her head was spinning a little, but she was happy. She watched Leonard clean up the mess from the food and shook her head.

Getting up from where she was sitting on the couch she walked over to Leonard and took his hand in hers, telling him to leave everything. She pulled him behind her as she led the way to her room, flicking off the lights as she went. Once inside she closed the door and turned to look at him, finally alone.

Making her way to him, she pulled off her tank top and threw it to the floor, leaving her in the same bikini top she had been wearing earlier. She reached him, and wrapped her arms around his neck, standing on her toes she kissed him softly before pulling away. Sara pushed him toward the bed, and as soon as he was on it, she straddled him and leaned in for another kiss. It was more intense than the first, all teeth and tongue, as Sara slid her hands down to pull off Leonard's shirt. She rolled her hips against his as he sat up and pulled off the shirt, but then he pulled away and moved her from off him.

"We can't do this," he said.

Sara shook her head at his words. Had the last three weeks not been building to this moment?

"What?" She questioned. "Do you not want me?"

Leonard moved closer to her and kissed her softly.

"Of course, I want you, but you've had far too much to drink tonight, you're not going to remember this in the morning," Leonard said, "When we do have sex, believe me, it's not something you'll want to forget."

Sara reached out and took his hand and gave him a small smile, she knew he was right, and although she had a feeling she would remember, Sara wasn't sure she wanted to have this memory as their first time.

"Will you at least stay with me tonight, just to sleep?"

"Always."

Sara slid out of her shorts and then pulled Leonard's shirt on over her bikini and pulled back the covers and got into the bed. She watched as Leonard moved to the other side and climbed in next to her. Moving closer to him, she ran her hand up his arm, and he wrapped it around her, pulling her closer, as he kissed the top of her head.

"Leonard?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're here."

"Get some sleep Sara," he said.

She turned in his arms and sighed a content sigh.

"I think I'm falling in love with you," she whispered as she drifted off to sleep.

As her breathing evened out, Leonard kissed her head and thought about her words. He hadn't been in love before; he also hadn't felt like this for anyone before, did that mean it was love?

Rolling over the next morning the smile on Sara's face faded as she realized she was alone. Things had been so perfect the night before. Why would Leonard leave before she woke up?


End file.
